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Description[]
Cursed Dragons are enemies in Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen.
Encountered on Bitterblack Isle, these undead dragons from origins unknown bear a striking visual similarity to a near-death Ur-Dragon, however Cursed Dragons are smaller and less powerful. Instead of a heart, they have a single purple crystal in their chest, which the Cursed Dragon accompanying the Dark Bishop also lacks.
They breathe a vile and foul gas, which can inflict multiple debilitations and rots any time sensitive items in the party's inventory.
Like the Ur-Dragon, the Cursed Dragon can be slain by a pawn if they strike the final blow to its crystal.
Cursed Dragons are unknown undead dragonkin that draw Rift Crystals in the atmosphere of Bitterblack Isle from slain Arisen into the corpses of dead dragons. Where their hearts used to be crystallizes, forming a makeshift heart that brings them back.
Overview[]
| Type | |
|---|---|
| Experience gained |
Base Experience of 66,000
Can be more or less depending on a few factors such as:
|
| Location |
On Bitterblack Isle - as a Necrophage, appears when lured by monster corpses or by a Rancid Bait Meat:
In the Forsaken Cathedral, a lesser version is summoned with the Dark Bishop. Additionally, in The Black Abbey, two can be baited with Fiend-luring Incense, along with a flock of six Sirens. |
Additionally: Rift Bicrystal, Rift Polycrystal, Rift Cluster, Perfect Rift Crystal (rare) On destroying a horn:
On destroying a wing
May also cause Dragonforging of equipment. | |
|
Accursed Errand - acquire 3 Cursed Dragon Horns |
Stats[]
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| Sources: Dragon's Dogma - ドラゴンズドグマ ＆ Dark Arisen (www10.atwiki.jp) and in-game testing. |
- * The Dark Bishop's summoned Cursed Dragon has only 12,500 Health.
Attacks[]
| Attack | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Poison Breath | Mag/Spec | A massive stream of poison is let loose from its mouth. Can cause Poison, and Curse. The Cursed Dragon can use this move while moving forward or backing away from its target, and may also attack whilst hovering.
The poison breath has a chance to rot any perishable items. |
| Cursed Breath Assault | Mag/Spec | If under 50% health and grounded, the dragon will rear up and inhale, slowly turn to face the Arisen, and prepare a massive poison bomb attack. It will then roar, knocking back pawns and the Arisen who are not under cover including climbers.
The dragon then spits a poison bomb, which explodes after a few seconds into several small poison bombs which can inflict Curse, Poison or Torpor in addition to heavy damage. This attack may also rot perishable items. |
| Dive | Phys | Hovers, then performs a gliding lunge from the air. |
| Charge | Phys | Charges at a target on the ground. |
| Grab (Arisen) | Phys | The Arisen is grabbed and then slammed into the ground. |
| Grab (Pawn) | Spec/Status | A Pawn is grabbed and then slammed into the ground.
The Cursed Dragon will rarely try to seize control over the pawn, causing Possession. |
| Stomp Attack | Phys | A powerful attack with its feet, staggers targets. |
| Sweeping Backhand | Phys | A backhanded slap with either one of its front claws. |
| Tail Sweep | Phys | A powerful spinning attack with its tail, knocks targets off their feet. |
| Tail Lash | Phys | If the Arisen or pawns linger near or under the tail, it may whip back and forth for high damage with knockback. |
| Dragon Roar | Spec/Status | A mighty roar that may inflict Possession on all pawns within range. |
| Biting Assault | Phys | An onslaught of three powerful bites meant to catch fleeing enemies. |
| High Lassitude | Mag/Status | One or more area-of-effect sigils are created, inflicting Torpor on those who remain within it. |
Dragonforging[]
I will avenge you, brother.
Slaying Cursed Dragons offers a high chance to Dragonforge equipment, greater than any of the lesser Dragons.
| Initial state | Dragonforging chance |
 stars enhancement
|
40% |
 stars enhancement
|
55% |
 stars enhancement
|
65% |
 stars enhancement
|
75% |
Tactics[]
Offensive[]
- The heart crystal on the chest is its weak spot, though blows and arrows to the head can stagger it.
- There is relative safety to be found by clinging to its heart.
- Weak to Fire and Holy. Highly susceptible to Burning.
- Vulnerable to Torpor (lasting for approximately 25 seconds per affliction instance).
- Can be Silenced.
- Cursed Dragons are resilient against but may also be inflicted with Lowered Defense, Lowered Magick, and Lowered Strength.
- Immune to Drenched, Tarring, Blindness, Poison, Curse, Petrification, and Sleep.
- Although the dragon is undead, it is unaffected by spells such as High Anodyne, which usually damaged such creatures. Magick Rebalancer similarly is unable to debilitate the Cursed Dragon with Lowered Magick Defense.
- Whilst it is hovering, melee strikes to the tail have a high chance to cause knockdown. However, magick and bow attacks are better concentrated on the heart, head, or legs.
- The Mystic Knight shield Zombiebane is very effective against Cursed Dragons, being the equal of the strongest magick shields when facing this foe.
- Standing at the Dragon's flanks is a reliable way of getting it to perform its backhand.
- Certain vocations may wish to consider that Perfect Blocking this attack will hit its heart, as will skills with invincibility frames such as Full Moon Slash.
- Mystic Knights may wish to exploit this with Mystic Knight Shield Counters.
- The Maker's Finger does four health bars of damage normally, but if the Dragon has been knocked down and is reeling, the arrow will kill it outright. Oddly, Strength Boosted and Magick Boosted increase the arrow's damage, but there is no change from attacks on weak spots.
- Striking the hand of a support arm while it's casting will knock it down. The associated bestiary knowledge flag will not trigger from hitting the arm, however, only the hand. This can be achieved more consistently by aiming at the very tips of its fingers, either in melee or with Blast Arrows.
Defensive[]
- The Cursed Dragon's physical bite attacks have a small Dark magick component.
- A Cursed Dragon's attack patterns can be more easily learnt in "slow motion" by observing a Torpored dragon.
- The most dangerous place to stand is directly in front of the Dragon, as its bite is its single most powerful attack. The Cursed Dragon has a long, craning neck and a far-reaching forward lunge, so avoid frontal assaults.
- Running towards and not away from the Dragon's underbelly when it begins its biting lunges may be a more effective way to avoid being chomped.
- Being underneath the Cursed Dragon is comparatively safe.
- Be aware, however, that the Dragon can hit a character standing under its heart with its backhand.
- With its health is below the halfway point, the dragon will start using its massive breath attacks. There appears to be no technique capable of interrupting these, save for causing the death of the Dragon. This attack will knock down any party member who is not behind cover or climbing the Dragon.
- Determine "safe" areas of the battlefield to escape from the massive breath attack by taking cover. For example, in the Duskmoon Tower, the Arisen can run behind the large tree, behind rock formations, around corners, or into any opened treasure chest chambers.
- For a ranged-capable Arisen, there is a column to the left of the entrance to the Vault of Defiled Truth. If one gets behind it and stands all the way back against the north wall, the dragon cannot reach the Arisen or pawns for most of its attacks. Both of its breath attacks will also rarely affect the Arisen or pawns in this position. It will spend most of the fight trying unsuccessfully to bite the Arisen, who can bombard it with ranged attacks or spells.
- The Cursed Dragon's breath can inflict multiple debilitations simultaneously, including Cursed, Poison, and Torpor.
- Climbing onto the Cursed Dragon's chest can sometime be a safe position from the massive breath attack. However, attempting to shelter here is not 100% reliable.
- The initial blast has a radius of around 15 meters.
- Follow-up poison bomblets may land anywhere, and sometimes direct cover may not protect from them.
- Dark resistance mitigates the Dragon's Cursed Breath attacks.
- If the Arisen takes up a position above ground level, like the upper walkways or ramps in the Midnight Helix, the Dragon will spend most of its time in the air, with limited offensive options except poison breath. Because the crystal heart is exposed while in flight, it is easy to repeatedly down the dragon with ranged attacks.
- The Cursed Dragon in The Fallen City can cast High Lassitude to slow the party down. Either prepare in advance with resistant equipment, bring suitable potions, or inflict Silence to prevent the spell from being cast.
- Mage pawns can hold the Cursed Dragon in place with High Grapnel, temporarily nullifying the physical attacks upon which it relies.
Pawn specific[]
- Unlike other Dragons, excluding the Ur-Dragon, pawns can land the final blow on a Cursed Dragon.
- Unlike other Dragons, the Dragon Roar can inflict Possession, forcing pawns to attack the Arisen. Prepare suitably.
- Pawns with low Possession resistance who climb the Cursed Dragon's back can also become Possessed, but they typically remain helpless on the Cursed Dragon's back until either restored to sanity or forfeited, or when the fight ends.
- Take care with high-level pawns who could potentially annihilate the entire party if they become possessed.
Pawn Bestiary Knowledge[]
Pawn Chatter[]
- "That dragon's near rotted through!" (no bestiary knowledge)
- "The walking corpse of a wyrm...?!"
- "There, a cursed dragon!"
- "This must be the work of the darkest magick."
- "Stay clear of its putrefying breath!"
- "The wings, Master! Strike it from the sky!"
- "There! The point of light upon its chest!"
- " 'Tis like the crystal in its breast animates it!"
- "Augh?! Our meat and vegetables rot!"
Notes[]
Cursed Dragon at the top of the steps in the Midnight Helix. The illumination comes from a couple of Magick Archer's explosive rivets lodged in its heart.
- The Dark Arisen editon of the artbook reveals they drawn in Rift Crystals to the corpses of dead dragons, forming a heart that brings them back.
- Its unknown what type of dragon they once were.
- The Cursed Dragon does not use wing flap attacks like other Dragons. As a consequence, Stability is only of use against the Cursed Dragon's aerial fly-by.
- The Cursed Dragon's breath may rot meat and vegetables, but its breath can be oddly beneficial as well. An Egg or Ambrosial Meat can be turned immediately into a Golden Egg or Sour Ambrosial Meat when exposed to Cursed Dragon's breath. Store such items in an Airtight Flask to preserve them, as further breath attacks will rot the egg or meat.
- Randomly appearing necrophagous Cursed Dragons can spawn in mid-air and fall, which may be sufficient to kill a low-level or badly equipped character by crushing them.
- If the Cursed Dragon is encountered together with another dangerous enemy, such as in the Midnight Helix or Tower of Treasons Repaid, they may fight each other. Though the other foe can win, they sometimes fail or are unable to hit the chest crystal needed to finish off the Dragon, which then requires the Arisen to step in. Experience is not awarded for creatures killed by the Cursed Dragon, though loot can still be gathered.
The Cursed Dragon tries to kill Barroch
- If the Cursed Dragon is engaged in the Duskmoon Tower prior to Barroch being removed from the area (possible by using a Rancid Bait Meat), Barroch might catch the aggro of the Cursed Dragon randomly. It's recommended to bring a Fighter with Shield Drum or a Warrior with War Cry, or equip any weapon or skill that can be used to knock it down from the sky.
- Barroch is invulnerable, and even if he is constantly hit or poisoned by the Cursed Dragon, he cannot die.
- The Cursed Dragon is more supple than might be supposed. It is able to enter areas that appear impossibly small. For example, it can climb all the way to the top of the stairs in the Midnight Helix leading to the Ward of Regret. It will immediately slide down unless it is staggered by a critical blow that causes it to writhe. In that case, it will remain at the top of the stairs.
- (Exploit) It is possible to "farm" Cursed Dragons; for details see Farming Exploits § Cursed Dragons.
- As opposed to other Dragons, destruction of the Cursed Dragon's horns or wings will lack the distinctive impact effect. In addition, the Cursed Dragon's model won't update like other dragons, but its hitbox will.
Gallery[]
The Cursed Dragon's Biting Assault, AKA "The Chomp"
The Cursed Dragon's "Massive Breath Attack"
Cursed Dragon - Duskmoon - Solo warrior with Rusted Warhammer
2 Cursed Dragons slain with only Rusted Daggers B, Arisen undamaged
A Strider demonstration. (Hard mode)
Cursed Dragon slain with only Rusted daggers I, Arisen undamaged
An Assassin demonstrating Masterful Kill effectiveness. (Hard mode, 16 counters)
Fighter vs Cursed Dragon. One on one duel. Arisen is undamaged.
Demonstration of a shieldless Arisen utilising Hindsight Strike to evade and counter, and Heavenward Lash to strike the tail when it hovers overhead to bring it down. The poison breath can be avoided by hiding behind obstacles or grabbing onto its back. (Hard mode, with the Stability augment)
Farming Cursed Dragons with Comestion, Hard mode, party undamaged
This "blind spot" is safe from virtually all Cursed Dragon attacks. A perfect perch to spam spells like Comestion and Miasma.
External links[]
- Official website (archived)